[Colt McCoy]

Rearden,

There are a number of reasons most credentials don't matter.

1) Most of the "trainers" with letters after their names got them from silly mail order correspondence course so they could work at a chain gym. Passing poorly written multiple choice tests does not make one an expert. Having the little letters after your name is the most useless credential there is.

2) Most of the people with degrees in fields related to physical training were taught by people that have no idea what they're doing. They went to a lot of classes and can name every muscle in the body but have no idea how training impacts them.

3) There are a ton of "experts" out there, all with credentials. They all have different views. They're not all right so most of those credntials don't mean anything.

4) Most good trainers aren't training average Joes like the people here, and the programs and training they write about isn't usually designed for them. Case in point is all the stupid split routines in the muscle magazines that are almost useless if not counterproductive for most people.

5) Most people work out for personal reasons, with their own goals. Most work jobs or have other careers. Not being a professional trainer or some kind of bodybuilder or powerlifting contestant doesn't mean they don't know what they're doing. As an example, I used to bench 1.5x BW for reps, but I have never participated in any kind of contest. It doesn't mean I'm clueless.

I'm not saying that someone who has major personal physical accomplishments or trained people who have don't have meaningful credentials. I'm just saying a lack of "credentials" doesn't at all mean that someone doesn't know what they're talking about in this field.

edit: If you read through this forum, Thremp has given quite a bit of good advice. He's gotten more caustic and less helpful lately probably because he's tired of posting the same things over and over for people that keep asking the questions w/o bothering to read anything first.